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Workers “suffering in silence” with mental health issues

Published: October 18, 2016

A new survey has revealed many British workers are not talking to their managers about mental health issues.

Research conducted by charity Business in the Community found that 77 per cent of employees have at some point experienced a mental health issue, with 62 per cent feeling their work has undermined their mental wellbeing.

Worryingly, 49 per cent of the 20,000 people involved in the study said they would not talk to their employer about their mental health, while 56 per cent of those who did felt their employer did nothing to help them deal with the issue.

“Millions of employees are suffering in silence and feel unable to share their experiences at work. When they do reach out, many are met with an inadequate response,” said Louise Aston, wellbeing director at Business in the Community.

“Our findings show that we need more openness, more training and information, and more support for employees and managers.”

Ms Aston called on companies to look at how they can change workplace environments to remove the taboo surrounding mental health issues.

She added: “It is good that mental wellbeing is on the radar for leaders and managers, but this is still not translating into the right workplace cultures or adequate support for employees experiencing poor mental health.”

Mitrefinch can provide a range of solutions to help businesses support workers returning to work after a period of sick leave.

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